PMH
  • CAD
  • Total hip replacement in 2001
VOCAB/ACRONYMS

ROM- range of motion
CAD- coronary artery disease
BP-blood pressure
HR- heart rate

OBSERVATIONS
  • Trips often
  • Overweight
  • Trembling in right hand
  • Decreased ROM, feels “tight all over”
  • Alert and oriented
  • Vital signs are normal
  • Sensation is normal
  • Strength is normal
  • Reflexes are brisk but equal on both sides

TESTS ORDERED AND RESULTS
-blood tests to see if there is an abnormal thyroid hormone levels of liver damage
- PET scan to see if there are low levels of dopamine

SYMPTOMS/COMPLAINTS

  • Trouble getting dressed
  • Trouble cooking and eating
  • Difficulty walking
  • Hands shakes
DIAGNOSIS
Parkinson’s disease

RATIONALE FOR DIAGNOSIS
- Tests are given to rule out other diseases. No test can be given to diagnose Parkinson’s. All the known symptoms of patient are known for being Parkinson’s disease symptoms.


NAME OF DISEASE
Parkinson’s disease is a condition that affects your basal ganglia because of low dopamine levels. It affects movement.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DISEASE
- Shaky, difficulty walking, trembling, decreased ROM, tripping often, trouble with day to day activities, bad posture, stiffness.

HOW DISEASE IS DIAGNOSED (WHAT DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND WHAT THEY WOULD SHOW)
- Neurological exam and tests to rule out other disease

TREATMENT
- The doctor will wait to prescribe treatment with drugs until your symptoms begin to interfere with your daily activities. One of the prescriptions is called levodopa. Exercise, physical therapy, and occupational therapy are also used for treatment. There is also a study on gene therapy that will help with the abnormal tremors of the body.

PROGNOSIS AND COURSE OF DISEASE
Parkinson’s disease is not considered to be a fatal disease by itself but it progresses with time. The average life expectancy of a PD patient is generally lower than for people who do not have the disease. In the late stages of the disease, PD may cause complications such as choking, pneumonia, and falls that can lead to death. The progression of symptoms for PD may also take up to 20 years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuN5E4ebKz8&NR=1&feature=fvwp